Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-05-27
lRutland Herald

The survivors of Picketts charge in
tended to erect monument next July at
the point known at Gettysburg as the
high water mark" of the rebellion 1t is
the place where Pickett's men for one
brief moment penetrated the Union line
but were instantly crushed. The Battle
field Memorial association owns the land
and has refused consent to the erection of
the monument. The New York Herald
| calls this very mean and small business"
and thinks 1t will so strike every soldier
who won honor on that field" That paper
goes on to say:
The brave man is always ready to give de-
served praise to his opponent. 1t was an aw-
ful day that day OF Pickett's charge, and
stern southern stuff was met by stern stuff
| from the North. If those two magnificent
armies could meet in July 1887, they would
present arms" to each other. If the cause
| OF the North was victorious it was not be-
| cause the South lacked courage, and we may
well be grateful that after 25 years the survi-
vors. northern and southern, shake hands as
citizens of Il united country.
While we largely share these senti
ments, we desire to explain the position
of the Battlefield Memorial association
and defend their decision. They own but
a narrow strip of land along the Union
line and It is devoted to monuments mark
ing the Union positions, and to drive
| way. The field occupied by Pickett is
private property and can be bought at a
reasonable price. 1t is more appropriate
for the confederate monument to be
placed where most of Picketts men fell
than 1t would be where one or two hun
dred of them forced their way for few
seconds and where the Union monuments
will soon stand SO thick that confeder-
ate monument would seem to everybody
an intrusion.
Very near this spot monument is to
be erected to commemorate the valor of
Vermonters, but 1t will not be placed so
near the enemy by many rods as the men
placed themselves in that hazardous and
destructive flank movement. Why? Be
cause the association does not own the
land and, II 1t were purchased the monu-
ment would mark only part of the move
ments which they made, for they moved
to the left as well as to the right. So,
while the monument has not been definite
ly located, the commissioners have sub
stantially agreed to place it at a central
position OF their line, near where Stan.
nard fell wounded and inscribe upon it
the TACT that they advanced from there to
Why is not this good example for
Pickett's men? In the smooth field where
they were hurled en- mdSSe against the
Union line, their monument will be con
spicuous. 1t can stand within five rods
or within five feet of the Union line and
Battlefield Memorial association, or the
authorities of Gettysburg, would agree to
protect it. Its inscription could tell the
story and point to the place, few feet
away, where the Union line was penetra-
ted. Is not that enough
We forgive and honor the brave fellows
whom we met there, but as no one with
good taste would tolerate the crowiing by
one Union regiment of its memorial stone
upon the ground held most of the time by
another, so it seems to us that this at
tempt 10 force the confederates perma-
nently further to the front than any of
them were able to stay for even minute.
violates all the proprieties of the place and
the grand plan of commemoration in
augurated by Union troops, and justifies
the Memorial association in defining the
! limits of occupation.
A mile east of this place, over Culp's
hill, where the right wing of the Union
army fought so valiantly, there is con.
| federate monument, erected by the Second
Maryland, at the point just outside the
union line where they drove back some
union troops from their own State. 1t is
visited by all union veterans, Just as much
as though 1t were on ground owned by
the association, and is of course treated